Through
a series of bilateral meetings, U.S. and Canadian officials are busy
working out the details of the perimeter security action plan. This
includes a recent joint crime forum which dealt with border and law
enforcement issues.

These various discussions are part of the
implementation process which when finished would bring about the
complete transformation of the northern border and another step closer
in the creation of a fully integrated North American security
perimeter.

In early March, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano met with Canadian
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews as
part of the Cross-Border Crime Forum.
On the agenda was, “transnational crime issues such as organized
crime, counter-terrorism, smuggling, economic crime and other emerging
cross-border threats.” Both countries also signed a memorandum of
understanding on the Dissemination and Exchange of Information
to combat human smuggling and trafficking.

The meetings were used as
an opportunity to further advance U.S.-Canada cooperation in areas of
law enforcement, criminal justice and intelligence. This ties in with
my previous article which detailed
the Obama administration’s new counter-narcotics strategy for the
northern border that includes closer collaboration with Canada in the
war on drugs. Much of the joint crime forum discussions focused around
the progress being made on the Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan, announced in December 2011.

A readout
of Attorney General Holder and Secretary Napolitano’s visit to Ottawa
explained that talks with their Canadian counterparts centered largely
around promoting the perimeter security agreement. It highlighted,
“efforts to develop the next-generation of integrated cross-border law
enforcement operations, and improve information sharing practices.”

Attorney General Holder stated, “Our productive discussions today at
the Cross Border Crime Forum go a long way toward advancing a key
pillar of the Beyond the Border initiative that President Obama and
Prime Minister Harper announced last year: integrated law enforcement
that adds value to our relationship by leveraging shared resources,
improving information sharing and increasing coordination of efforts.”

Secretary Napolitano emphasized that, “We will continue to work with
Canada to further enhance information sharing and integrate our cross
border law enforcement operations, strengthening the national and
economic security of both our nations.” As part of the perimeter
security deal, both countries are moving ahead with harmonizing
intelligence sharing capabilities.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently hosted
stakeholder meetings regarding programs and initiatives found in the
Beyond the Border action plan. CBP Acting Deputy Commissioner Thomas
Winkowski confirmed that the, “agreement forged by President Obama and
Prime Minister Harper is about strengthening and expediting trade and
travel between our countries.”

He went on to say, “It’s about finding
common-sense solutions to our most complicated problems. And it’s about
extending national security for both of our nations, well away from
the border.” CBSA President Luc Portelance acknowledged, “As these joint
meetings with stakeholders indicate, we are committed to working with
our U.S. partners to bring about greater consistency, efficiency and
predictability in the management of our shared border.” The perimeter
security deal will mean deeper integration between both border
agencies. Some have warned that it might force Canada to harmonize its
immigration and refugee policies with U.S. practices. Over a period of
time, this could lead to the creation of a binational institution that
would manage the northern border.

Steven Chase of the Globe and Mail reported
that during recent border security discussions, Department of Homeland
Security Assistant Secretary of International Affairs, Alan Bersin
commented on how, “he believes the time will come when Canada and the
United States have a joint organization to handle border controls –
what he described as a NORAD border.”

Bersin is quoted as saying, “Why
should we have separate admissibility processes … if, in fact, North
American security would suggest that a Canadian and a U.S. immigrations
and customs official ought to be working together to clear people in
Frankfurt who are coming into Canada, to clear them such that they would
be able then to come seamlessly across (the joint border into) the
United States.”

An article
by Christopher Sands of the Hudson Institute also included another top
level Homeland Security official using the same NORAD analogy to
describe future joint border controls. David Heyman explained that
this, “could be a model for how the two countries might handle the
protection of citizens against 21st-century threats from terrorism,
pandemics, cyberattacks, and organized crime.”

On February 16, the Conservative government introduced the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act.
The legislation proposed, “reforms to the asylum system to make it
faster and fairer, measures to address human smuggling, and the
authority to make it mandatory to provide biometric data.” The new
changes would put Canada in line with the U.S. and other international
partners. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney praised the use of
biometrics as an, “important new tool to help protect the safety and
security of Canadians by reducing identity fraud and identity theft.”

He added, it “will improve our ability to keep violent criminals and
those who pose a threat to Canada out. In short, biometrics will
strengthen the integrity of Canada’s immigration system while helping
facilitate legitimate travel.” Under the section about sharing relevant
information to improve immigration and border determinations, the
U.S.-Canada action plan
calls for implementing, “systematic and automated biographic
information-sharing capability by 2013 and biometric information-sharing
capability by 2014.”

There are fears that a joint biometric
identification system would be used to track Canadians and Americans
alike.

U.S.-Canada bilateral dialogue on strategic issues
concerning the Beyond the Border deal continues as the action plan lays
out deadlines where initiatives will be incrementally implemented over
the next several years. The proposed changes promise to bring about a
radical transformation of the northern border. This will further bring
Canadian security practices in line with American ones and under the
reach of the Department of Homeland Security.

Dana
Gabriel is an activist and independent researcher. He writes about
trade, globalization, sovereignty, security, as well as other issues.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit his blog at beyourownleader.blogspot.com